Despite the availability of the Internet, there is still no entirely satisfactory way for people at different companies or other entities to have the benefits of private network security, such as for file sharing or collaborative work between enterprises on a daily basis and for ad hoc alliances, i.e., different sets of entities coming together to function as one mega or meta entity, for the duration of some particular project. In such cases, the time and expense of actually wiring a network between two or more companies or other entities and agreeing on one common software package or standard presents a barrier to conventional network solutions. In addition, any new process for the sharing of content has in the past generally required the user to adopt new workflow components, applications, and habits that tend to be disruptive to the user's normal day-to-day workflow routine, e.g. when working internal to their enterprise and with personal use. Simply using the Internet remains imperfectly secure for the sharing of confidential information without some pre-arranged secure encryption processes has been cumbersome and unproductive, especially in today's increasing use of personal devices being incorporated into the workflow. Further, secure storage and sharing of content across diverse storage facilities makes it difficult to meet requirements for tracking content, such as for maintaining the ability to access all versions of a document, to all users with a copy of a document, and the like. For instance, with content shared across diverse storage facilities it may be difficult for a user or enterprise to respond to a discovery request for electronic content. There is a need for such systems and for users to utilize the systems in such a way that does not force them to adopt new infrastructure, software, and business and personal processes in their daily workflow in order to achieve a shared and potentially secure extended work environment.
Thus, there are still yet-unsolved problems associated with different groups of companies or other entities to sharing securely over an expanding global network environment.